Which Bird?!

Question
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Followup To
Question -
My boyfriend has a blue-crown conure.  She likes me, but she'll never love me the way she loves him.  He and I have been talking about it and he thinks I should get a bird of my own.

I've done a lot of reserach about different types of bird.  I went to a bird mill (just to check out birds) and fell in love with a Severe Macaw. So, I thought that was the bird I wanted. I did some reading, and found out that they were as noisy as full grown macaws. Then, I went to a nice small parrot shop and saw the Eclectus.

I bought a book and read about them.  They are beautiful birds! Although they can learn a decent vocabulary, they don't seem very playful.

Then, I have been doing some reading on the Senegal.  They seem like an ideal pet.

I just don't know which type of bird would be the best for me as a 1st time bird owner. It seems like every owner LOVES their type of bird.  Many of the books do not give the downside to the speciaes.  My boyfriend has offered to HELP with the bird but he reminds me that it is MY bird to train and take care of (which I have no problem with).
Answer -
Hi, Cathy.  Thanks for posting your concerns.

It's very difficult for another person, especially a stranger, to help another choose the right parrot for themselves.  This selection depends on a number of factors, such as your lifestyle, your home setup, the amount of time you can devote to your parrot, your personal preferences in a parrot (male/female, brightly colored or not, not noisy versus noisy), whether you live in a house/apartment, etc., etc.  Some parrots have special dietary requirements, some require a lot of human interaction on a daily basis because of their intelligence, some have cage-size requirements (will you allow much time out of cage or will parrot have to stay in cage 24/7), in some species males and females exhibit different behaviors, etc., etc.  What you do need to realize is that you can't make generalities about a parrot species based on what you read in books.  The books you are reading could be outdated, they are based on one person's perspective (the author's, who may not have much experience with parrots in general and/or may prefer certain species), etc.  Each and every parrot, within each species, is as individual as each human.  In other words for example, a book may state that an Eclectus isn't a very playful bird, but perhaps the author's experience with an Eclectus wasn't very positive and/or the particular bird(s) this author "examined" wasn't playful.  This doesn't mean all Eclectus's aren't playful.  EVERY BIRD'S PERSONALITY IS DIFFERENT based on how s/he was raised and socialized to humans, it's health, it's diet, it's environment, etc.  If a parrot has had bad experiences with humans, they will behave differently toward humans than the same parrot who has had good experiences with humans.  This is especially true of parrots who have spent a lot of time for sale in a pet shop.  Also be aware that most parrots will bond to one person (like your boyfriend's parrot).  This may/may not be you, depending on the bird's preferences, and how much time you spend with your bird.  If your boyfriend and you live together, your bird could bond to your boyfriend.  In addition, if you bring another bird into your household (if you live together), the 2 birds could end up prefering each other and slide both you and your boyfriend!  This would be because birds prefer other birds to humans, i.e., the best pet birds are single birds in the home.  I'm not trying to disuade you from having your own bird...just alerting you to the realities when 2 birds live in the same home.  It could also end up that both birds are sweethearts to each other and still bond to each of you...depends on the individual personalities of each individual bird and how both of you treat the situation (would you know how to handle the situation in order to prevent this from happening).  Lots to think about.  

Since I do not have knowledge of your lifestyle, your personal preferences in a parrot, your home/family situation, etc., I do not feel equipped to help you make a decision as to the type of parrot you should purchase.  I would suggest if this is your first parrot, that you spend a lot of time researching, speaking with breeders and/or other parrot owners, handling different parrots (at bird shows/auctions/stores/breeder facilities, etc.), finding out what the different species' requirements are, and make a decision based on your research, income, personal preferences, lifestyle, available time, housing situation, etc.  You'll know when you have found the right bird for you!

I can recommend that you purchase a parrot from a reputable breeder (not pet shop...breeder's prices are lower and usually offer better parrots), one that has been handfed (imprinted on humans), one that was just weaned (a baby parrot that you can raise the way you want the parrot to be raised), one that comes with a guarantee (in case the parrot passes away or becomes ill after purchase), one that has been sexed and comes with a sexing certificate (if this matters to you), and one that has a health certificate (has been seen by an avian veterinarian prior to sale).

My website may offer you some more information about parrots in general if you want to visit:  http://www.angelfire.com/falcon/birdinfo/index.html

Some general advice (remembering that this depends on each individual bird's personality, too):  the more intelligent the bird, the more time you'll have to spend with the bird on a daily basis.  Parrots need a varied diet, including fresh/raw vegetables/fruits/multi and whole grains, etc., versus just seeds and pelleted food (can you afford/do you have the time to feed properly).  Conures are usually noisy parrots the better part of the day, but all parrots make noise daily (it's just the way they are...the smaller they are, the smaller the noise, but still noise)(some parrots chatter all day, some make big noise 2-3 times per day).  In some species of birds, females are more affectionate, quieter, but can be more aggressive than males when necessary, and in some species, females don't usually learn to speak as well as males.  Most parrots can be destructive to furniture, etc., in the home if let to roam free at will.  You'll need access to a good avian veterinarian, so line one up in advance and be sure you can afford to pay charges if/when necessary (some people buy parrots, but can't afford to feed them properly and/or take them to the vet when necessary).  If your parrot becomes ill or injured, you'll need to take s/he in right away...no time to search for bird vets once ill/injured.  Cages aren't cheap, so shop/buy beforehand once you decide the type of parrot you want.  All parrots need toys/activities to keep their minds stimulated when their human is away and/or when they want to play.

I hope I've helped you some.  Come back if you need to.  Thanks.

Chrys          


Chrys,

Let me give you some of my specifics.  I live in a small apartment, but will be moving in with my boyfriend next year.  He also has a 2 bedroom condo.  The bird would stay in the cage most of the day while we are at work.  I would like to raise my bird so that he/she can play outside the cage without direct supervision.  Yodie (my boyfriend's conure) does not like to play on playgyms and the like.  She only likes to play with him.

I want a bird that will be playful, that will want to interact with a variety of people, that will have decent talking ability but won't screech incessantly.  I know my bird will probably learn some bad habits from Yodie, but I hope to avoid some of them by traning him/her in advance.

I understand the amount of time and attention required by these pets. I own two ferrets who require their share of out of the cage/playtime.  I'm just trying to find the best match of species to me and my style of living.

Thanks,
Cathy

Answer
Hi again, Cathy.  

If you want to purchase a parrot soon, i.e., before you move out of your apartment, and you don't want to upset your neighbors or get yourself thrown out due to excessive noise, you need to choose a parrot such as a cockatiel, parrotlet, budgie/parakeet, etc., that is not very loud and that does very well inside a cage all day, and that also does well undersupervised.  Until you get to know a parrot's behavior and the parrot learns where s/he is allowed/not allowed to roam, etc., you should not let them out of their cages unsupervised.  Parrots are very curious and mischievious and they will get into all sorts of things and/or injure themselves if they are not supervised.  They are like human toddlers.  You wouldn't leave a human toddler unsupervised.  

Again, I cannot stress enough that there are no guarantees when it comes to parrots.  I can tell you, for example, that ringnecks are playful parrots, but you might end up with one that isn't.  This type of thing is something you risk when purchasing a parrot.  There are also no guarantees when it comes to speaking ability.  All parrots have the ability to talk, but some do and some don't...another risk you take.  I also cannot state that such and such a parrot will interact with a variety of people...no guarantees and another risk.  Like I stated, a parrot's personality/behavior is directly related to how it is raised, etc.  If you want a parrot who will interact with a variety of people, learn to talk well, play unsupervised, then you need to start with a just-weaned baby parrot of some species, and raise it the way you want it to be, you need to teach it to talk (and say the words you want it to say), etc., etc.  

If you and your boyfriend will be living in a 2-bedroom condo, I don't advise buying any parrot that will be noisy, such as conures, amazons, or most of the medium-sized parrots (most conures are noisy all day!).  By nature, these species are noisy at various times of the day...it's just normal for them to hollar in the mornings, at noon, and in the evenings (they are calling to the flock).  You state your boyfriend has a blue crown conure.  My blue crowns are very noisy, therefore, your boyfriend's neighbors must not mind the noise, unless his parrot is quiet (or the walls are noiseproofed).  If the neighbors have no problem with parrot noise, then you should be free to buy whatever type parrot you like.  Parrots screech for various reasons.  If they are lacking something, some screech until they get what they need (such as food, water, attention, etc.).  Some screech because they don't feel well.  Some screech because they want to and there isn't a thing you can do about it!

Since you will not be home during the day, I suggest you not purchase a Grey, a Cockatoo, Macaw, or an Amazon (and some I may not be familiar with).  These species are highly intelligent and require much human interaction on a daily basis (not that other species aren't intelligent).  Since your boyfriend already owns a conure and you will be living together, it might be best if you stick with the conure species, such as a Sun, Jenday, Cherryhead, etc.  They usually can learn to speak quite well, but for the other characteristics you want in a parrot, well, these will be things you will have to teach the parrot you buy.  Since Yodie is female, you need to decide if you want to buy a male or female.  Females might not get along very well together, depending on the personalities of the individual birds.  A male and female may bond to each other and not have anything more to do with you or your boyfriend.  This is something else that cannot be guaranteed or predicted by anyone.    

Parrots don't come with built-in characteristics.  Other than speaking ability, most everything else a parrot knows is learned behaviors...things they learn/are taught from humans (like biting, what's acceptable and unacceptable behavior).  It just depends on the personalities of the individual birds and the person teaching them (or what they learn from the environment around them).

Bottom line is buying a parrot with certain characteristics is a risk all bird buyers/owners take.  The best you can do is buy a baby parrot of whatever species you think you might like (such as color, size) and raise it the way you want the parrot to be as an adult.  There's a 50/50 chance that you will be successful.  I can recommend all sorts of parrots for you, but there's no guarantee that the particular one you select will turn out the way you want it to be.  Whatever you do, do not buy a grown adult parrot (unless you want to rescue a particular bird from a bad situation).  A grown adult parrot already has certain personality traits and if you don't like some/any of these traits, it's very difficult to turn these negative behaviors around in an adult parrot.   

Sorry if you were looking for some definite species recommendations, but it just isn't that simple when it comes to parrots!

Chrys